This Singles Day will be the world’s biggest shopping event ever – how come you never heard of it?
Singles Day started out as a student joke but has grown to become the planet’s biggest shopping event. However, many UK shoppers remain completely unaware of it. This year, it’s time Brits became ‘Singles-minded’, says Parcelhero.
In 2024, the total sales for Singles Day were approximately $203.6bn, significantly larger than Black Friday/Cyber Week sales, which totalled ‘only’ around $38bn for the entire Cyber Week period. Yet, many Brits have never heard of the event.
UK shoppers could be missing out on significant bargains by being unaware of the global sale, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero. Those Brits who were in the know went on a £2bn shopping spree last year to make the most of the international bargains.
Parcelhero’s head of consumer research, David Jinks MILT says: “Singles Day is supposedly the flip side of Valentine’s Day. It was created by Chinese single male university students in the 1990s who cheered themselves up by purchasing something nice for themselves. The date selected was 11/11, with the repeated number 1 symbolising solo living. By 2009, the event had become a global sales sensation, with people spending money not only on themselves but also buying presents early for Christmas.
“It’s now the biggest single event in the global retail calendar. Not only does it eclipse the entire Black Friday/Cyber Monday week but it also dwarfs similar events such as Amazon’s Prime Day. This year’s Prime Day four-day sale brought in $24bn globally, which was a new record, but didn’t put a dent in the Singles Day figures.
“China has been quick to learn from Amazon’s example when it comes to extending a single day to a week or more. Just as Amazon’s Prime Day now extends over four days, Alibaba this year announced it was kicking off its ‘1.11 Global Shopping Festival’ on 15 October. In other words, Singles Day just became Singles Month.
“Of course, for UK shoppers, it’s retailers and platforms with links to China that will feature the biggest sales. Alibaba.co.uk is likely to be offering significant discounts while UK shoppers who use AliExpress – the site which enables Brits to buy direct from Chinese traders – will also be able to access some global bargains. Similarly, Temu sellers will also likely be featuring some considerable offers.
“As might be expected, UK retailers have been a lot quicker than shoppers to embrace the new event, with many selling to customers in Asia and a number extending offers to the UK as well. Favourite UK stores such as M&S and Waitrose have held Singles Day sales on Alibaba’s Tmall site in recent years, with major UK brands such as Dyson, Burberry and Jaguar-Land Rover also joining in the bonanza. UK stores River Island, New Look, Zavvi and Sports Direct have also offered Singles Day deals.
“But don’t go thinking it’s just a retail feast from the East. In recent years, ASOS in the UK has held a snap 20% off everything sale and this year there are a number of big brands backing the event here in the UK. Singles Day will certainly be in fashion this year if the number of fashion brands embracing the event here is indicative. Calvin Klein says: “Discover special Calvin Klein discounts during the week of 11 November and indulge in some self-love”. Not to be outdone, Tommy Hilfiger says: “Celebrate Singles Day 2025 with Tommy Hilfiger and take advantage of a range of great deals. Why not treat yourself – or one of the other singles in your life – to a signature Tommy Hilfiger fragrance, piece of jewellery or a tech gadget.”
“Despite these big name backers, Singles Day in the UK is still far from being the phenomenon that it is in China. Perhaps that’s because it clashes uneasily with Remembrance Day celebrations. However, in 2021 UK Singles Day sales reached £1.72bn and climbed to £1.97bn in 2023, according to the retail statistics expert Statista. Our research indicates that it topped £2bn last year. For a sales event with so little general British awareness, that’s a healthy result.
“Of course, it’s canny Gen Zs and Millennials who are driving its UK growth, while older Gen Xers and Babyboomers are still likely to give you a blank look if you mention the event. Once these older age groups have become ‘Singles-minded’, we can expect a huge UK boom. That’s because the event is perfectly timed for early bird Christmas shoppers. The smallest permission to spend on ourselves is also just too tempting to resist. Who doesn’t need the occasional bout of retail therapy?
“Singles Day kicks off the seasonal shopping race. In fact, Christmas is just six weeks away. If you are buying a Singles Day bargain for a friend or loved one, it’s not too early to be planning to send your gift to them in good time for the big day.”